Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed how long defender Nathan Ake is set to be ruled out for with a fractured foot.
Ake has been hampered with injuries throughout this season and has subsequently been limited to just 18 appearances across all competitions, including just eight Premier League starts.
After almost a month on the sidelined with a muscle injury, Ake returned to Guardiola's first-team squad in the middle of last month and he was handed a start in last weekend's 3-1 win over Plymouth in the FA Cup fifth round.
However, the 29-year-old was forced off at half time after aggravating a foot problem which has caused him discomfort throughout his career.
Ake took to social a media on Tuesday to confirm that he has undergone successful surgery to address the issue which has been 'bothering him for months' in what has been a "frustrating season" for the defender.
Speaking ahead of Man City's Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday lunchtime, Guardiola has put a timeframe on when he hopes to have Ake back in his senior squad.
© Imago
Ake could miss rest of season after foot surgery
"Ten weeks or 11 weeks they said to me," Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"When it is surgery, it is pretty serious. When you have surgery it is because something wrong happened. Important is it is done. He has struggled. It happened."
Ake is joined in the treatment room by fellow defenders John Stones (thigh) and Manuel Akanji (abductor), the latter of whom underwent surgery last month and is set to remain sidelined until the middle of April.
Guardiola has been down to his bare bones in the defensive department throughout this season, and he is now left with Ruben Dias - who has had his fair share of fitness concerns - as well as new signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis who he can call upon to play at centre-back.
Man City's manager has praised the impact of both Khusanov and Reis since arriving at the Etihad Stadium in the January transfer window and has admitted that the club would be in trouble if they had not been signed.
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Guardiola praises impact of new signings Khusanov, Reis
"The impact of Khusanov was really, really good," said Guardiola. "Not the first minute against Chelsea, but since then really good.
"Vitor was really good against Plymouth. Now some centre-backs from the academy are coming to play with us because of the absence of the three central defenders (Ake, Akanji and Stones) for almost until the end of the season.
"Some of the senior ones may be ready for the Club World Cup. We are unlucky but the club took the decision to sign in January and if we hadn't, we would be in trouble!"
Khusanov was recently named Man City's Etihad Player of the Month for February after receiving a record number of votes from the club's supporters, while Citizens expert Steven McInerny from Esteemed Kompany has waxed lyrical about Reis following his home debut against Plymouth.
Both Khusanov and Reis, along with Dias, are in contention to start in central defence for Man City in their important top-four battle with Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Citizens currently sit fourth in the Premier League table and they are guaranteed to end the weekend one place higher if they come out on top against third-placed Forest at the City Ground.
Oliver Thomas
